The Siren
by Earthsong05
Summary: Hermione discovers she has a secret power rarely found. It looks like her new found abilities will have a huge impact on the coming war. But what happens when she finds herself caght up in a Triad as ancient as Hogwarts itself?
1. Prologue: Summer, Highland Falls

A/N: Lots and lots of music will be used in this, and I will own NONE of it. In this first chapter, there is a line from RENT! If you can find it and tell me, I'll use a song of your choosing in the story!

Disclaimer: I make $7.75 an hour working as a pharmacy assistant. While this is really great for a college student, it does not make me as rich as the queen. Therefore, I am NOT JKR. Nor do I own Summer, Highland Falls. That would be the great Billy Joel

** The Siren**

** Prologue: Summer, Highland Falls**

**_ They say that these are not the best of times,_**

_** But they're the only times I've ever known.**_

---_Summer, Highland Falls_; Billy Joel

The three stood together on the train platform, preparing to cross the barrier after bidding farewell to the Weasleys who were Portkeying straight to Romania. Hermione turned to Harry and wrapped him up in a fierce embrace. "Take care of yourself! And don't let the Dursleys bully you around! Remember, it's only for two weeks! Then Draco and I will come get you for the rest of the summer!"

The blond wizard beside her laughed, "I don't know Hermione. I don't think he can survive without us!"

The green-eyed wizard flashed him a grin, "Hey! I survived eleven years before I met Hermione and _sixteen_ before I became friends with you! I'm pretty sure I can handle two weeks."

"Sure thing Scar-Head! You _are_ the Boy-who-Lived after all! Come on, admit it! You know you'll miss us both desperately, especially me!"

Harry faked a swoon, leaning into Hermione. "Oh yes! Two weeks without your ferret face! Whatever shall I do?"

Hermione laughed and shoved him off her, saying, "Oh you! How in Merlin's name will I survive an entire summer alone in a safe house with only you two for company? Perhaps I should just put myself out of my misery now!" The boys laughed.

"Come on now, Granger," Draco drawled. "You know you love us and can't wait to spend your summer with these two gorgeous, sexy, utterly desirable men." He and Harry posed a bit, looking as sexy as possible. Hermione burst into a fit of laughter, trying to control herself, for the other students were beginning to stare.

"Well come on, you sex gods! It's time we re-entered the Muggle world!" She quickly passed through the barrier, followed closely by Harry and Draco. They stopped and looked to where the Dursleys were waiting for Harry, glaring at the trio.

Draco glowered back, before turning to Harry. "If they mess with you, just send an owl and I'll come hex them for you."

Hermione wrapped him up in a hug again, whispering in his ear, "Do be careful Harry. It's only two weeks." She turned to Draco. "Come on Draco, we need to hurry. My parents should have left my car in the parking lot!" Harry watched the two of them head off, dragging their trunks behind them.

It still amazed him how much they had changed in the last six years. Draco Malfoy had been transformed from a pasty, scrawny, sneering first year to a tall, pale, sarcastic soon to be seventh year. If the physical change in Draco was noticeable, it was nothing compared to his personality change! At the beginning of Harry's sixth year, Draco had approached Hermione Granger, of all people, for help. He had done the thing Harry had never thought possible: he'd grown a spine and finally stood up to his family. Apparently, his mother had tried to force him to take his father's place in the Dark Lord's circle. Draco had refused after the death of Cedric Diggory and seeing the things the Death Eaters had inflicted on mere _students _at the Department of Mysteries, he knew he wanted no part in it. She'd cast him out, disowning him entirely. He'd spent most of his summer living in the Muggle world, working in a bookshop and renting the flat above it. He'd returned to school to be shunned by most of the Slytherins, save a few lone souls who had to be careful how close they became to him. They couldn't risk a falling out with their own families.

So, completely alone, Draco turned to Hermione. He'd apologized for his attitude, explaining how his summer had changed his entire outlook. Upon seeing his sincerity, she'd immediately accepted him and the two spent hours discussing Muggle literature, Draco's new found hobby. From that day on, Hermione and Draco were nearly inseparable. They shared similar class schedules, and could be found studying together. Soon, they roped Harry into joining them, not that it was difficult. After Umbridge and OWLs in his fifth year, he'd re-arranged his schedule, managing to get himself permission to join NEWT-level Ancient Ruins and Arithmancy, with Hermione and Draco.

Harry and Draco soon found out they had more in common then they ever realized. They'd formed a tentative friendship, which grew stronger as the year went on. Draco had more or less become a Gryffindor. He sat with them in classes, joined them in the library and occasionally in the common room, and he even ate his meals with them, much to Ron's chagrin. He still didn't like Draco, but he tolerated him, for Harry's sake. The only two things he did with the Slytherins was sleep (with one eye open, or so he claimed) and Quidditch. He had relinquished the captain position to Blaise Zabini, preparing to quit the team completely. However, Zabini was one of the few Slytherins who still liked Draco, and he'd insisted he remain the Seeker. Their friendship had actually made Harry and Draco more competitive, if it was possible. But when Harry narrowly beat Draco to the Snitch yet again, Draco was the first to congratulate him.

But Draco wasn't the only one who had changed. Harry watched Hermione walk away, thinking back to when he'd first met her. She'd been a bushy-haired, buck-toothed, bossy, know-it-all little girl. She was none of those things anymore. Her teeth had been shrunk in her fourth year, something she had actually thanked Draco for. Her bossiness had faded with time and age. She still loved rules and liked to be in control, but she'd lost the bossy tone and found more subtle ways to get people to do what she wanted.

And as for being a know-it-all—well, maybe she hadn't really lost that. She was still incredibly clever, and more intelligent than most of the professors. But she'd gotten bored with classes and studying, being so far advanced. She'd begun studying things on her own, things that interested her and few understood. She'd begun formulating ideas and theories, becoming a near expert in experimental magic and magical theory. She'd begun serious research and even began publishing papers in academic journals under a pseudonym. Only three people knew of this, Harry, Draco, and her research partner and co-author, Severus Snape, who had finally admitted she was no longer a "silly little girl." Her intellect was so far advanced that she'd finally stopped showing off, finding no joy in it anymore. As for her bushy hair, well, it was a thing of the past. She'd grown it out, nearly to the small of her back. And as it grew, the weight of it pulled it down into loose, wild curls, as opposed to the tangle of frizz she'd had in her earlier years. True, it was still unmanageable, but now it made her look sexy and wild and earthy.

But her hair wasn't the only thing that made her sexy. Hermione Granger was no longer a little girl. She'd been a bit of a late bloomer, her body developing during her fifth year. She tried to hide beneath baggy clothes and robes, but it was hard to hide her full breast, flared hips, and svelte body. She was a woman, and a very attractive one at that. Not that Harry had been looking. She was his best friend, after all. He shouldn't be looking at her and comparing her to the Greek and Roman goddesses of old. _That's poetic! _Harry thought. Then he berated himself, _NO! That's pathetic! She's you're best friend, and you're perving after her!_ It was wrong. No matter how long her legs were nor how tan and tall she was. No matter that she was deliciously curved where other girls were slender. No, that was no excuse.

But had Harry himself changed? That he didn't really know. True, he was certainly taller than he was his first year. And he wasn't thin any more as much as lithe, his slender build covering for the hard muscles beneath. He was the perfect build for a Seeker. His hair was still a mess. He'd quit trying years ago and let it grow. It now brushed his collar, but it still persisted in sticking up at odd angles. He still wore his glasses, though he probably could've fixed his eyes with magic. He was rather fond of the stupid things. He supposed he'd changed mentally too. He was no longer the moody, scared, talentless boy he'd been. In his place stood a quietly confident, powerful, brilliant young man, a born leader, whether he wanted it or not.

But that's why he, Hermione, and Draco balanced each other, he supposed. They were all born leaders, but while Harry had to be forced to lead, Hermione naturally took over when needed, and Draco had to be forced to relinquish control. All three were brilliant and powerful in different ways, yet they still seemed to have so much in common. They were the only students who could keep up with the other two. They'd often gotten themselves into brilliant debates that only they (and a few professors) could understand.

That's why Ron had grown apart from them. He just couldn't keep up anymore. It's not that they weren't all friends. Ron had just devoted himself completely to Quidditch, which Hermione hated and Draco and Harry worried more about their futures, without Quidditch. So he'd become better friends with the other boys in their dorm and willingly taken Fred and George's place as prankster kings, along with Dean and Seamus.

Harry was drawn from his thoughts by the rough voice of his uncle saying, "Come on boy! Don't stand there gawking all day! Get your shit together and let's go!" And without waiting to see if Harry was behind him, Vernon left the station. Harry sighed as he hefted his trunk and Hedwig's cage. _Two weeks_ he reminded himself. _Two weeks 'til I'm where I should be!_ Somehow, he knew those two weeks would be the longest of his life.


	2. Chapter 1: Rescue Me

**Disclaimer:** AMA: The American Medical Association; The American Music Association; my initials. JKR: the writer of the _Harry Potter_ books; richer than the queen; so **not** my initials. I don't own it, I just have fun. Also, _Rescue Me_ belongs to the goddess that is Aretha Franklin. I may be able to sing and I might be a diva but only in my dreams am I anywhere near that good.

**A/N: **I'm terribly sorry! Real life became a real bitch recently. So first, quick note to my great reviewers, **DrowCrazy** and **Adonica**. Also, there may not be updates for a while. It's not that I haven't been writing, it's just, I'm one of those people that gets a story stuck in my head and it won't go away until it's written down, so my computer/notebooks are full of half written stories! And I've decided to use a new manner of updating/posting my stories. With the exception of the three I've already started, I'm going to wait until a story is complete to start posting it. I will continue updating the three I have going, but I probably won't post until I have a couple chapters written, so there's less of a wait. Excuse my mistakes, my keyboard is temperamental and tends to double/skip letters at random. Spell check and I are only so good. Now, onward, my brave soldiers!

** The Siren**

** Chapter 1: Rescue Me**

_'Cause I need you by my side_

_ Can't you see that I'm lonely?_

_ Rescue me!_

_ ----Rescue Me, Aretha Franklin_

"Draco!" Hermione screamed. "If you didn't know what it did, why did you touch it?" She grabbed the small fire extinguisher from beneath the sink and threw open the door to the microwave that was currently on fire.

She managed to get the fire out as Draco explained, "Well, you use that thing all the time and it didn't look hard! How was I to know the thing was possessed by a fire spirit of some sort?" If Hermione hadn't have been so angry with him, she probably would have laughed. He made quite a picture: nervously shifting from foot to foot, wringing his hands, and looking at Hermione like she was a bomb about to explode. Not that he knew what a bomb was.

"What, exactly, were you trying to do?" She asked in a dangerous whisper.

"Make lunch," he said. "I was going to have soup." Hermione turned to the microwave with a groan.

"Please tell me you didn't…" But he had. He'd put the entire can in the microwave and the thing had exploded. "How long had you put it in for, anyway?" He mumbled something. "What?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I pressed some buttons until the thing started humming."

She sighed. "Draco. First, you can't put metal in a microwave, it explodes. Second, DON'T TOUCH THE MICROWAVE!" She screamed.

He flinched. In the last week she'd yelled at him more than she had in the previous six years they'd known each other, and that was saying something. It wasn't his fault, really. He'd never had all these Muggle gadgets around him before. Sure, he'd spent the summer previous in the Muggle world, but he'd been of age, so he did everything by magic. Could he help it if he was naturally curious? It wasn't his fault the stupid thing had exploded. Just like it wasn't his fault he'd overflowed the dishwasher, put her stupid cat Crookshanks in the clothes dryer after said flood, and attacked her blow dryer. He thought it was attacking her, honestly! The thing sounded like a monster! She should be thanking him for trying to protect her! Draco grumbled, "I _still_ don't see why we have to use all these Muggle contraptions! I mean, we're both of age and perfectly capable of using magic for these menial tasks."

Hermione sighed. They'd been over this time and time again. "Draco, you _know_ the answer to that, so why do you keep asking? Voldemort put a price on your head, and mine as well, twice over! Your father _knows_ your magical signature and Voldemort does as well! And _my_ signature is all _over_ the place! I'm just lucky no one's connected me with the papers I've written, and no one's bothered to ask Severus. Imagine what Voldemort would do if he found out that Sebastian Farmer, the "great mind" he so desperately wants to recruit was actually Hermione Granger, the "silly little mudblooded friend of Potter's" he so desperately wants to kill? We can't risk anyone finding us and Dumbledore could only put up limited wards without raising suspicion!"

Draco sat down, dejected. "I know, Hermione, I know. Just let me complain all right? It makes me feel better!"

Hermione sat down beside him. "How in Merlin's name did you survive last summer?"

"Magic. And take-out. Lots and lots of take-out. Specifically, Chinese. I _still_ don't see why we couldn't stay with Lupin and Tonks or at the school or even with crazy Moody. Why are you, Harry, and I stuck in the Muggle world?"

Hermione didn't really know the answer to that. She and Draco, and Harry in a week, were spending the summer hols in an abandoned Muggle farmhouse in the middle of no where. 12 Number 12 Grimmauld Place had disowned the Order after Sirius' death, locking the doors from all of them, even Tonks and Draco, who were technically Blacks, no matter how disowned. Luckily, all traces of the Order had been removed. Unfortunately, the Order had no headquarters. They had temporarily used the Burrow, but it was soon shut down by the Ministry, who, though they admitted to Voldemort's return, refused to help or acknowledge the Order of the Phoenix. And so the Order was homeless. And when it was discovered that both Draco and Hermione were targets, along with Harry, as always, Dumbledore decided it was best they spent the summer in a safe house, where neither Voldemort and his Death Eaters nor the ministry could find them, as long as they didn't use magic. They had Hermione's car to go pick up Harry, and to get back to King's Cross Station, as well as for emergencies, but the house seemed to fill itself based on their needs. They were comfortable, though a little bored.

"So, will you and Sev be doing any research this summer?" Draco asked when Hermione didn't answer, not that he had expected her to.

Hermione sighed. "A bit, but nothing like I'd planned to, what with both of us out of classes for once. But I'd be hindered without my magic. I'll be doing some basic book research and some development and maybe a few experimental potions. Anything I need tested, I'll send to Severus, though he's said he really doesn't want to test without me there, since they're my theories mostly. So it looks like the academic team of Sebastian and Antonio will be quiet for the summer, unless I find something astonishing."

Draco grinned at her. "You never _did_ tell me how you came up with your pseudonym."

Hermione laughed. "Oh, you'll enjoy it, I'm sure. First I picked Farmer because it's rather common and plain.(1) And as for Sebastian, well, I'd started out as Paulina, you know, from A Winter's Tale.(2)"

"That makes sense. Why'd you change it?"

"They refused my paper, without even reading it," she said with a scowl. "No one respects witches in academic research. So I decided to use Sebastian, from The Twelfth Night.(3) You know, Viola's brother who she looks just like and is mistaken for when she's disguised as a man?" Draco nodded his understanding. "Then when Severus started with me it only seemed appropriate for him to be Antonio, Sebastian's pirate companion. (4)"

Draco grinned. "And of course Sev makes the perfect pirate." Hermione laughed. "Only you could be that clever Hermione. So," he said slyly. "Can I make lunch?"

She hit him. "No! You're not allowed to cook, _ever_! I'll make lunch. You just sit." He grinned as she went about making lunch. _I knew it would work_ he thought with a laugh. He'd have to remember to set things on fire more often.

* * *

It was near dinnertime, and Hermione and Draco were lounging in the room they'd dubbed the den/library/study, both reading. Hermione had Draco reading Jane Eyre, a personal favorite of hers, while Draco had insisted she read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the books that sparked his initial interest in Muggle literature. Hermione was just about to work up the energy to think about considering getting up to make dinner when they were interrupted by a tapping at the window. Draco walked over and opened it and a snowy owl flew in and perched on the arm of Hermione's chair. "Hedwig! What are _you_ doing here?" She grabbed the letter from the owls out stretched leg.

Draco smirked. "See? I _told_ Harry he couldn't live without us! He barely made it a week!" But Hermione didn't laugh. In fact, her face was hard, her tawny eyes flashing with a fire Draco had only seen in them once—the time she hit him in third year. Hermione was pissed and Merlin protect whoever had caused it!

She silently handed Draco the note she'd read and left the room. He heard her heading up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. He heard the sound of her trunk slamming open. Curious, he read the note that had caused her ire. He felt his own face pale with rage, a hard light glinting in his eyes.

_ Draco and Hermione,_

_ I don't know when—or if—you'll get this. As soon as I arrived at Privet Drive, I was forced into the cupboard under the stairs and locked in. Hedwig was taken from me along with my trunk and all my school things. I'm not sure what the Dursleys plan on doing with me. From what I can tell, it's been about a week. I'm still not sure how, but I awoke and Hedwig was here. I swear, she must have magic of some kind. I'm sending this with her in hopes it will reach you. I haven't seen the Dursleys at all since they locked me in here. They've not even bothered to bring me food. Please, find a way to Dumbledore and tell him what happened. He'll now what to do!_

_ Harry_

"Pack your stuff, we're leaving." Hermione had returned to the room.

Still staring at the letter, Draco asked, "What did you have in mind?"

Hermione flashed a feral grin. "A rescue mission." Draco met her eyes, his own grin rather frightening.

* * *

Number 4 Privet Drive was quiet that night. Vernon Dursley sat in the kitchen, humming merrily as his wife Petunia finished supper. His son Dudley sat entranced, his eyes glued to the screen of a television. Vernon had had a great week. He'd locked that good-for-nothing nephew of his in the cupboard and planned to keep him there until he felt like letting him out or the boy died, whichever came first, though Vernon dearly hoped for the latter. He'd tell those…freaks he was friends with the boy had run away and that would be the end of it. Life was good on Privet Drive.

Well, life was good for _most_ of Privet Drive. Inside a locked cupboard, sitting on a little bed that no longer held his tall frame, sat a pale, thin young man with messy black hair and emerald green eyes. However, no one could relate this gaunt, thin boy with the strong, fiery young man who'd left King's Cross Station just a week before. But being locked in a cupboard for a week, away from sunlight, food, and human contact would do that to a person. Harry sat quietly staring out the small window, praying that somehow, wherever Hermione and Draco were, they had read his letter. He knew they'd contact Dumbledore. He'd know what to do.

Back in the kitchen, Vernon was still humming as he read the evening paper and ate his supper. Faintly, he heard a car door slam, but thought nothing of it—_damn noisy neighbors!_ Then the occupants of Number 4 Privet Drive all heard a distinct _THUMP!_ followed by a rather large _CRASH!_ Bolting from their chairs, all three Dursleys ran from the kitchen to their sitting room to see what all the commotion was about. They all stopped short in shock. There was their front door lying on their sitting room floor! And there in the doorway stood two figures. A young man with white-blond hair and steel gray eyes, looking murderous with a familiar snowy white owl on his shoulder, and his wand out. But even more frightening was the young woman beside him. Her eyes were flashing fire, her long brown curls seemed to whip in a non-existent angry breeze. She absolutely radiated power, yet she held no wand. At her feet stood an ugly, orange tomcat, looking for all the world like a lion on the hunt.

Hermione moved further into the sitting room, seeming to glide more than walk. Draco followed her, understanding instinctively that she was in charge. She pinned the Dursleys with a fierce glare. "**_WHERE IS HE?_**" Her normally soft, husky alto voice now reverberated with power. It made the blood run cold in the Dursleys' veins. Even Draco felt some of the effects. They were unable to answer her in their fear. "**_I SAID WHERE IS HE?_**" She spoke in little more than a hiss, yet it was every bit as effective as if she'd shouted.

Visibly shaking, Vernon stepped forward. "Now see here you freaks. You can't just come barging into our home. It's against the law! We could--" But before he could finish his statement, Hermione had waved her hand and all three of the Dursleys went flying back, hitting the wall. "**_AND LOCKING SOMEONE IN A CUPBOARD IS AGAINST THE LAWS OF HUMANITY! AND FOR IT YOU SHALL BE PUNISHED! NOW, FOR THE LAST TIME WHERE IS HE?_**"

Draco wasn't sure what was going on. He'd never seen Hermione like this. She worked so hard not to get angry, not liking the person she became then, and she was hardly ever violent. He was about to try and calm her down when he noticed Crookshanks. "Hermione! Hermione, look at Crookshanks! I think he's found something!" Sure enough the half-kneazle was head butting a door and meowing for all he was worth, trying to get his human's attention. Hermione turned to where Crookshanks was. She waved her hand without saying a word. The door Crookshanks stood before flew off the hinges and landed at the Dursleys feet with a loud _THUMP!_

Harry stumbled out of the cupboard in shock. He'd heard the commotion but had no idea what was going on. He was surprised to see Draco there looking murderous. Then there was Hermione, his own avenging angel in denim cut-offs. She glided over to him, Draco following. "Harry, are you all right?" She was shocked at the way he looked. He was pale and painfully thin. He also looked a little bruised.

"When's the last time you ate?" Draco asked quickly, seeing Hermione's rage begin to boil over again.

"Um…I think it was on the train. I had a chocolate frog. What are you doing here?"

Ignoring his question, Hermione turned to Draco. "Draco, why don't you two take our trunks and go upatairs? I'll be up in a bit, with some food. But first, I'd like to have a word with Harry's _family_ if you don't mind?" Her tone left no room for argments. Once they were safelt up the stairs, Hermione turned back to the Dursleys. Her eyes were glowing and her voice was quiet, but firm, "We are going to have a little chat…" All three of the Dursleys cowered in fear.

* * *

Upstairs, Harry led Draco to the spare room that he once lived in. There he found all his school things and Hedwig's cage. It actually looked as though she managed to bite through the bars, as impossible as it sounded. Hedwig herself flitted from Draco's shoulder to his own. "Thanks girl. I don't know what I'd do without you." She nipped his ear affectionately and with a muted _HOOT!_ flew out the open window. Harry finally turned to Draco and asked, "Why are you two here? I thought I said to go to Dumbledore. Not that I'm not grateful! I am! And what is with Hermione?"

"There's the million galleon question. We came because she insisted. She didn't really leave much choice. And I have _no idea_ what's going on with Hermione! I've never seen her like this before, not even when she hit me third year! Hell, I nearly burned down the safe house this morning! And she wasn't near this mad! She's doing major wandless magic too! She blew down both those doors without a word and threw your relatives across the room! I've never seen anything like it! It's kind of scary."

Harry nodded, then said with a bit of a smile, "Yeah, but damn! She looked good didn't she?"

"Hell yeah! Scary and angry look good on her! But seriously Harry. There's something more going on there. We need to keep an eye on her." Harry nodded his agreement, then the door opened.

Hermione and Crookshanks came into the room, her arms laden with food. "Well boys, we're staying here for the next week. Don't worry about the Dursleys, they won't be bothering us. We won't even leave this room, except to get food." She dumped her armload onto the bed, then pulled Harry into a tight embrace. "Oh Harry! I'm so sorry this happened! I'll never forgive Dumbledore for this! And once we leave next week, you'll never have to come back, I swear it!''

He hugged her back, every bit as fiercely. "It's all right Hermione, you're here now, that's all that matters."

The two of them joined Draco on the bed and they enjoyed the dinner Hermione had brought up. "Perhaps _I_ should be the one to go for food from now on. I think they're scared enough to let me be. Besides, Draco can't cook at all!"

Draco looked at her seriously as he said, "Are you sure? I'd take great joy in exploding their microwave! It's just a thought." Then all three of them burst out laughing, happy at last. Nothing would worry them for the time being. Not now that they were together again!

**Notes on References:**

"Granger" is actually another term for "farmer" mostly in the Midwest, I believe. Therefore, "Farmer" is a natural choice for Hermione to make.

The name "Hermione" _may_ refer to Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale. (The other source of the mane comes from Greek mythology) "Paulina" is a secondary female character in this play. I believe Hermione would look to her namesake for a pseudonym.

The Twelfth Night is a Shakespearean comedy bout Viola, a shipwrecked young girl who disguises herself as Cesario, a serving boy to Duke Orsino. In what can only be called a "classic Shakespearean chase scene," Viola is often mistaken as Sebastian, her twin brother and he for her. Few would recognize the name Cesario with the play but Sebastian is better known. I feel like Hermione would choose it, wanting someone to be smart enough to get her joke.

Antonio is a pirate captain in The Twelfth Night who befriends Sebastian when he was lost at sea. Antonio has run into some trouble with the law, though he has now changed his ways. (Seeing a resemblance?) I think Hermione would naturally choice this name for her co-author/research partner, no matter who it was, though I find it fitting of Severus.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I personally loved writing it!


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